Natural history of upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms and resulting work limitations over 3 years in a newly hired working population.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Objective
To describe the proportions of workers with upper extremity (UE) symptoms and work limitations because of symptoms in a newly hired working population over a 3-year study period and to describe transitions between various outcome states.Methods
A total of 827 subjects completed repeat self-reported questionnaires including demographics, medical and work history, symptoms, and work status. Outcomes of interest were UE symptoms and work limitations because of symptoms.Results
Up to 72% of workers reported symptoms at least once during the study, with 12% reporting persistent symptoms and 27% reporting fluctuating symptoms; 31% reported work limitations at least once, with 3% reporting consistent work limitations and 8% reporting fluctuating limitations.Conclusions
UE symptoms and work limitations are common among workers and dynamic in their course. A better understanding of the natural course of symptoms is necessary for targeted interventions.
SUBMITTER: Gardner BT
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4049189 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Natural history of upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms and resulting work limitations over 3 years in a newly hired working population.
Gardner Bethany T BT Dale Ann Marie AM Descatha Alexis A Evanoff Bradley B
Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 20140601 6
<h4>Objective</h4>To describe the proportions of workers with upper extremity (UE) symptoms and work limitations because of symptoms in a newly hired working population over a 3-year study period and to describe transitions between various outcome states.<h4>Methods</h4>A total of 827 subjects completed repeat self-reported questionnaires including demographics, medical and work history, symptoms, and work status. Outcomes of interest were UE symptoms and work limitations because of symptoms.<h4 ...[more]
Similar Datasets
Project description:ObjectivesThe aim was to develop an easy-to-use risk score based on occupational factors and to validate its performance to identify workers either having (diagnostic setting) or developing (prognostic setting) upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders (UEMSD).MethodsThis study relied on data from the Cosali prospective cohort conducted in a French working population. Diagnostic status for six UEMSD at inclusion and at follow-up was assessed by a standardized clinical examination. Data on occupational factors were collected through a self-administered questionnaire completed before the clinical examination at inclusion. The risk score was derived from a prediction model developed on data of 2,468 workers included in 2002-2003, and the validation sample is composed of 1,051 workers included later in 2004-2005. The prognostic performance of the risk score was assessed in workers without UEMSD at baseline.ResultsA total of 13% and 12% of workers had a UEMSD at inclusion in the development and validation sample. The developed risk score includes physical, organizational and psychosocial factors at work. In the validation sample, this score had acceptable performance for identifying workers having or not UEMSD at baseline (AUC: 0.60 [95% CI 0.57 to 0.63]), in particular the negative predictive value was high (89%-90%). The baseline risk score showed similar performance for predicting incident UEMSD at follow-up examination.ConclusionThis score can be useful as a first-line risk assessment tool, especially for excluding the low-risk work situations from further intervention by an ergonomist. Further validation studies are needed to determine its performance among various working populations.
| S-EPMC10858731 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThis review examines the evidence for an association between computer work and neck and upper extremity disorders (except carpal tunnel syndrome).MethodsA systematic critical review of studies of computer work and musculoskeletal disorders verified by a physical examination was performed.ResultsA total of 22 studies (26 articles) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Results show limited evidence for a causal relationship between computer work per se, computer mouse and keyboard time related to a diagnosis of wrist tendonitis, and for an association between computer mouse time and forearm disorders. Limited evidence was also found for a causal relationship between computer work per se and computer mouse time related to tension neck syndrome, but the evidence for keyboard time was insufficient. Insufficient evidence was found for an association between other musculoskeletal diagnoses of the neck and upper extremities, including shoulder tendonitis and epicondylitis, and any aspect of computer work.ConclusionsThere is limited epidemiological evidence for an association between aspects of computer work and some of the clinical diagnoses studied. None of the evidence was considered as moderate or strong and there is a need for more and better documentation.
| S-EPMC2874766 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesStudies from western countries show that dentists are vulnerable to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) of the neck and upper extremities, but little is known about their epidemiology among members of this rapidly growing profession in China. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of WMSDs and identify potential risk factors associated with their occurrence in the dental profession in China.Setting and participantsA cross-sectional survey was carried out in 52 different hospitals in a large metropolitan city in China. A total of 304 questionnaires were distributed to respondents identified via stratified random sampling and 272 dentists (121 females and 151 males) completed the survey. The response rate was 89.5%.OutcomesVisual analogue score was used to record neck and upper limb musculoskeletal symptoms on a body chart. Work-related risk factors, including physical and psychosocial factors, were accounted for in the regression analysis.Results88% of the dentists reported at least one musculoskeletal disorder and 83.8% suffered from neck pain. In the multivariate analyses, working hours per day were associated with neck pain (OR=1.43; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.98). Inability to select the appropriate size of dental instrument was associated with shoulder (OR=2.07; 95% CI 1.00 to 4.32) and wrist/hand (OR=2.47; 95% CI 1.15 to 5.32) pain. As for psychosocial factors, high job demand was associated with symptoms in the shoulder (OR=1.09; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.18), elbow (OR=1.11; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.19) and wrist/hand (OR=1.09; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.17). Regular physical exercise was associated with decreased neck pain (OR=0.37; 95% CI 0.14 to 1.00).ConclusionsThe prevalence of WMSDs among Chinese dentists is high. Specifically, long working hours, inability to select the appropriate size of dental instrument and high job demand are the most significant risk factors.
| S-EPMC4275663 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundCurrently, work-related musculoskeletal disorders are a significant public health concern and are a leading cause of disability-adjusted life years and reduced quality of life worldwide. In developing countries, including Ethiopia, as a result of poor occupational health and safety practices and underreporting of the problems, work-related musculoskeletal disorders have been increased, remaining less prioritized, and there is no adequate evidence on the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders. Thus, the current study aimed to determine and provide the overall prevalence of occupational-related upper and lower extremity musculoskeletal pain among the working population of Ethiopia.MethodsThe current study considered full-text articles conducted in Ethiopia, written in English, and published from 2017 to 2020. Ten electronic databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, Google Scholar, MedNar, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, African Index Medicus, and African Journals Online database were used to search the articles using a combination of Boolean logic operators (AND, OR, and NOT), Medical Subject Headings, and main keywords. The quality assessment of the articles was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools to determine the relevance of the article to the current study.ResultsOf the 1377 articles identified from the included electronic databases, 12 studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The study found that the pooled prevalence of occupational-related elbow pain, wrist/hand pain, knee/leg pain, foot/ankle pain, and hip/thigh pain in the previous one year was 19.7% (95% CI: 12.3, 30.1), 24.2% (95% CI: 17.4, 32.7), 25.0% (95% CI: 18.5, 32.8), 20.2% (95% CI: 12.8, 30.4), and 15.5% (95% CI: 9.9, 23.4), respectively. Based on a subgroup analysis, the last year's pooled prevalence of occupational-related elbow, wrist/hand, knee/leg, foot/ankle, and hip/thigh pain was increased to 33.7% [95% CI: 31.9, 35.5], 29.7% [95% CI: 28.2, 31.2], 31.5% [95% CI: 29.9, 33.2], 30.6% [95% CI: 29.0, 32.4], and 27.3% [95% CI: 25.5, 29.2], respectively.ConclusionOccupational-related musculoskeletal disorders continue to have a potential impact on workers' health and productivity. The current study found that the overall pooled prevalence of occupational-related upper and lower extremity musculoskeletal disorders in the last year ranged from 15.5 to 33.7%. Implementing occupational health and safety measures play an important role in preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders and other occupational hazards.
| S-EPMC9121504 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionEarly work-related experiences of newly hired employees can have important implications for their work performance over time and their future health and well-being trajectories. In health care work, such outcomes may hold implications for the services delivered and the patients whose lives depend on them.ObjectivesThis study was conducted to explore the work-related experiences of newly hired hospital nurses in Ghana.MethodsUsing qualitative methods, thirty-six (36) newly hired nurses in three (3) hospitals in the Eastern Region of Ghana were purposively sampled and interviewed. Thematic network analyses were applied to the data collected.ResultsFive main themes emerged which summarized the experiences of the nurses. The themes indicated that newly hired nurses experienced the nursing profession as stressful and yet fulfilling, different from their preentry expectations with multiple sources of stressors and resources. Religion and faith, family support, and a perceived lack of suitable alternative sources of income emerged as the main motivators of the intention to stay.ConclusionThe findings suggest a highly stressful and quite unpredictable work environment for newly hired nurses. Despite this, they are determined to stay on the job. Employee assistance programs that have specialized components targeted at providing emotional and psychosocial assistance to newly hired nurses are recommended.
| S-EPMC11465299 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThis study investigated the relationship between verbal aggression against school teachers and upper extremity (neck, shoulder, upper limb, and/or upper back) musculoskeletal pain.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study of 525 elementary school teachers from Jaboatão dos Guararapes, Northeast Brazil.ResultsThe prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal pain among teachers who reported verbal aggression in the past six months (67.7%) was higher than that among those who did not report verbal aggression (51.7%): (prevalence ratio = 1.21; 95% confidence interval = 1.04-1.40). The prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal pain was associated with verbal aggression, sex, and common mental disorders, controlled by skin color, age, monthly income, teachers' education, years working as a teacher, workload, and obesity. Furthermore, the measure of the association between verbal aggression and upper extremity musculoskeletal pain was modified by sex and common mental disorders, considered altogether. Teachers who suffered verbal aggression, of the feminine sex, and also having common mental disorders reported high prevalence (85.4%) of upper extremity musculoskeletal pain.ConclusionThe association between verbal violence in the school and complaints of upper extremity musculoskeletal pain was strong and modified by teachers' sex and common mental disorders.
| S-EPMC7303528 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ContextTennis-specific musculoskeletal (MSK) screening can assess range of motion (ROM) and muscular imbalances. Identifying normative values before implementing a MSK screen is essential in contributing to athlete performance and injury risk profiles.ObjectiveTo review upper extremity MSK data in healthy tennis players across age, sex, and level of play.Data sourceThe Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed for this review. A search was conducted in MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, Embase, and CINAHL.Study selectionThis review included shoulder, elbow, and wrist ROM, isometric strength, or isokinetic strength in a tennis population. Each article was critically appraised to help identify the internal and external validity of each study.Study designSystematic review.Level of evidenceLevel 3.Data extractionA total of 41 studies met the search criteria. Each contributor organized the data elements of interest into data tables, with a second contributor assigned for review. Data elements of interest included player and study characteristics: ROM, isometric dynamometry, and isokinetic strength.ResultsA total of 3174 players were included in the final studies. Most of the players included were competitive adolescents and young adults; 15 studies included ROM data. Male tennis players consistently had more external rotation (ER) gain (range, 1.8º to 8.8º) and internal rotation (IR) loss (range, -15.3º to -3.0º) when compared with their female counterparts (ER range, -2.5º to 5.8º; IR range, -10.4º to -3º). Shoulder IR and ER strength were measured in the majority of all the strength studies, with the external rotators generating at least two-thirds the strength of the internal rotators.ConclusionOverall MSK data of tennis players indicate that shoulder strength values are often larger than nontennis players, but equal to or slightly lower than comparable athletes in other overhead sports. Adaptive changes of the glenohumeral joint and subsequent rotational motion are similar to those of other overhead athletes.
| S-EPMC11531041 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to describe the health status and work limitations in injured workers with musculoskeletal disorders at 1 month post-injury, stratified by return-to-work status, and to document their return-to-work trajectories 6 months post-injury. METHODS: A sample of 632 workers with a back or upper extremity musculoskeletal disorder, who filed a Workplace Safety and Insurance Board lost-time claim injury, participated in this prospective study. Participants were assessed at baseline (1 month post-injury) and at 6 months follow-up. RESULTS: One month post-injury, poor physical health, high levels of depressive symptoms and high work limitations are prevalent in workers, including in those with a sustained first return to work. Workers with a sustained first return to work report a better health status and fewer work limitations than those who experienced a recurrence of work absence or who never returned to work. Six months post-injury, the rate of recurrence of work absence in the trajectories of injured workers who have made at least one return to work attempt is high (38%), including the rate for workers with an initial sustained first return to work (27%). CONCLUSIONS: There are return-to-work status specific health outcomes in injured workers. A sustained first return to work is not equivalent to a complete recovery from musculoskeletal disorders.
| S-EPMC2039824 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundUpper extremity musculoskeletal disorders negatively affect ability to perform activities of daily living, self-care and work. Therefore, outcome measurements that address muscle strength, fatigue resistance, functionality and work physical capacity must be defined to assess and plan specific actions to minimize them.ObjectiveTo investigate the association of upper extremity muscle strength with upper extremity fatigue resistance, work ability and upper extremity dysfunction in a sample of workers from a tertiary hospital.MethodsShoulder and elbow isokinetic strength were assessed by Biodex System 4™, isometric hand grip by JAMAR™, upper extremity fatigue resistance by Functional Impairment Test Hand and Neck/Shoulder/Arm (FIT-HaNSA), ability to work by the Work Ability Index and upper extremity dysfunction by the Quick-Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand QuickDASH-Br questionnaire. The Nordic questionnaire and Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) were used for pain description. The associations were analysed by Spearman's correlation coefficient (rho) (p < 0.05).ResultsTwenty-seven participants: 59.2% women; mean age 46 years old; 70.3% obese/overweight; 62.9% active with predominantly dynamic muscle contraction work. Besides predominance of good to moderate work ability (81.4%) and comorbidities (37%), all participants had symptoms of the upper extremities for at least 12 months, with a predominance of low-intensity in the shoulder (55.5%). In addition, 88.8% reported pain in other segments. Muscle strength of abduction (rho = 0.49), adduction (rho = 0.40), internal rotation (rho = 0.44) and hand grip (rho = 0.68) presented moderate correlation with FIT-HaNSA. Hand grip (rho = - 0.52) showed moderate correlation with upper extremity dysfunction.ConclusionsThe results of this preliminary study suggested the association of shoulder strength with fatigue resistance. Also, hand grip strength was associated with upper extremity dysfunction and fatigue resistance. No association was found with the Work Ability Index in this sample. So, it is suggested that hand grip and shoulder strength could be outcome measurements used for future interventions focused on upper extremity preventive exercises to improve strength and fatigue resistance of workers at risk for the development of musculoskeletal disorders. Other individual, psychosocial and organizational risk factors must also be considered as influences on upper extremity function.
| S-EPMC8170978 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundFew prospective cohort studies of distal upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders have been performed. Past studies have provided somewhat conflicting evidence for occupational risk factors and have largely reported data without adjustments for many personal and psychosocial factors.Methods/designA multi-center prospective cohort study was incepted to quantify risk factors for distal upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders and potentially develop improved methods for analyzing jobs. Disorders to analyze included carpal tunnel syndrome, lateral epicondylalgia, medial epicondylalgia, trigger digit, deQuervain's stenosing tenosynovitis and other tendinoses. Workers have thus far been enrolled from 17 different employment settings in 3 diverse US states and performed widely varying work. At baseline, workers undergo laptop administered questionnaires, structured interviews, two standardized physical examinations and nerve conduction studies to ascertain demographic, medical history, psychosocial factors and current musculoskeletal disorders. All workers' jobs are individually measured for physical factors and are videotaped. Workers are followed monthly for the development of musculoskeletal disorders. Repeat nerve conduction studies are performed for those with symptoms of tingling and numbness in the prior six months. Changes in jobs necessitate re-measure and re-videotaping of job physical factors. Case definitions have been established. Point prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome is a combination of paraesthesias in at least two median nerve-served digits plus an abnormal nerve conduction study at baseline. The lifetime cumulative incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome will also include those with a past history of carpal tunnel syndrome. Incident cases will exclude those with either a past history or prevalent cases at baseline. Statistical methods planned include survival analyses and logistic regression.DiscussionA prospective cohort study of distal upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders is underway and has successfully enrolled over 1,000 workers to date.
| S-EPMC3476983 | biostudies-literature